Improvement in car seats and couches



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID SPENNOYER, 0F NORTH EAST, lNEW YORK.

iMPRovi-:MENT iN CAR SEATS AND oouoHEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,8!3, dated August 28, 1860.

To all whom it may'concem:

Be it known that I, DAviD PENNOYER, of North East, in theconmy oiDui/chessand State ofNew York,have invented a new and l m proved Car Seat and Couch and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-4- Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a railroad-car, taken in the line w, Fig. 3, and showing my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken inthe line a: a2, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to obtain an arrangement of seatsand adjustable platforms whereby comfortable seats are provided for day travel, and comfortable berths or couches for night travel, the device admitting of accomrnodating as manypersons with couches as it'can provide with seats, so that all the passengers in a car that can be provided with seats can also be provided with berths or couches with proper division-boards.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully u nderstand and construct my invention, i will proceed to describe it.

A represents the seats of' a railroad-car,which are supported at a suitable height from the bottom of the car, and are each provided with a back, B. These backs are attached to the seats A at each end by two bars, a a, which cross each other and are connected by pivots b to both the seat and its back. (See Fig. 1.) This mode of attaching the backs to the seats admits of the former being turned to either edgey of the latter as may be desired by the occupants ofthe seat. The backs B are retained in proper position by means of hars C, the upper ends of which are connected by pivots c to about the center of the outer ends of the backs, one bar being to each back.

AThe lower ends o f the bars C are provided each with three slotted prongs, l 2 3, which communicate with each other, and in which a pin., d, is fitted. The pins d are at the outer ends ofthe seats A, and serve as holdfasts, and when in the side .prongs,2 3, retain the back in an upright slightly-inclined position, and

when in the central prong, l., admitofthebacks being turned down in a horizontal position, (see Fig. l, in which the backs ot' two seats are shown in a horizontal-position, and two in an upright slightly inclined position.)

To the sides ofthe car,'and at points adjoining the front part of every alternate seat A, there are attached, by joints or hinges c, boards or partitions D. These partitions are connected in pairs at their outer ends by rodsf, so as to cause each pairof partitions to vbe mov/ed outward or inward simultaneously. When the backs B are adjusted vertically, or slightlyinclined,'and the seats Aused as seatsonly, the partitions D are adjusted back against `the sides of the car but when the backs B are adjusted in a horizontal position to form couches the partitions D are moved outward parallel to the seats, and form head andoot boards,

or, in other words, partitions between the couches. y

It will be seen from the above description that two seats, A, with their backs B will form one couch to accommodate two persons, and that another couch will be necessary in order to accommodate the other two persons. This is accomplished by means of an adjustable platform, E, which is suspended from the upper part of the car, directly over the two seats, by means ofrods F and boards G.- The rods F are attached to the sides ot the car and to vertical strips H by means ot' pivots g, and the lower ends of the rods F are attached by `pivots h to the boardsGat about their centers,

the lower ends of the boards G being attached to the ends of the platform E by Ijoints or hinges i. The pivots hat the Alower ends ot' the innermost rods, F, may project a little from said rods to tit into curved guides j in the sides of the car. (See Fig.

To each end of the platform E there'are attached cords k k. These cords pass over pnlleys Z l atthe top ofthe car, are connected together, and pass throughs. longitudinal strip, m, attached to the top ofthe car.

It will be seen that by pulling the ends of the cords k 7c the platform E Will\be raised, and it may be adjusted snugly against thertop of the car, and retained in such position by a hook, u, the boards Gr folding upward as the .platform is raised, and when the latter is lowered the boards serve as partitions. y

which eyes lo., aiachaii is iii@ platform E, warm ters Patent, 'is- To the inner sides @i iii@ ,vertical strips H their@ are attached i'riical guide-mds 0,1m

Sums q are ais@ aisaf'eiied i@ 'the Sides @fibre @am and io iii@ stiipsH i0 susan the pizfoim when iowmeih i i The piziti'orm E may be upiwlsteed iii any suitable Way t@ form mai'iass. 'K

Them is aow @fpiati'omsE, along iii@ wiwi@ iengtii @E die am', a piaiiorm @var e'viy iw@ l@eats zo ammini-105m@ ih@ passengers m1- providd 'for by iii@ @ouciis below.

Mio not claim bmadiy ih@ iampaymui; or use 0f iidjastabi 'platforms E, iior ieversibie, backs io faiimadm seais irrespective 0i' iii@ mraiigment herein Shown and described; but,

Having thais dvscl'iiied my iiiveiiiion? what ,i d daim as new, and desire io semina by LM:-

l. Thecombinmiomwiih @ii-@i1 minera-mi with the aaai, A, haak B, and slotted. pronged mar C, @f the bars,I a, a, in the 'manner and for til@ purpose herein @hmm and described.

2. Tha amamgemeui; of ih'@ folding boards G, mais' F, pivts hg @awed guides j, verfcciii vstrips H, adjustable paform E; and cords 3c If,

as herein shown and described, so 'iimt by puh- 'mg the cords die boards G wiii foid inward and the piaf'orm E wiil rise to 'the roof of time car., sind by releasing: iii@ .cords time pla-Mmm will descend to its pi'ae, all as Sei. fortis.

` DAVID PENNUYER.

Wimesses: I

@mim WAKEMAN, WiLLMM SHELDEN, S. PENNUYER. 

